Floating Roof Garden

On the roof of an historic Gold Coast landmark, two ardent urbanites hoped to restore some green to their beloved city life: “We miss trees!” The age and structure of the building presented interesting challenges: absolutely nothing was to penetrate the roof membrane, weight loads on the historic structure were limited, and getting anything to the roof was a logistical Rubik’s cube. Our solution is essentially a ‘floating’ garden comprised of mobile elements than can be quickly removed to access the roof. Trees and thick masses of plants are in planters, which also function to anchor handrails along the roof’s perimeter. A roof grill welcomes friends and family to dine alfresco surrounded by lush green during the day and the twinkle of city lights at night.